SOCCER/Manager's reaction:  To use the vernacular the Portuguese, came, saw and didn't fancy it. To use the truth neither did we. Well, not much.

A cold Lansdowne night with the rain skirling and spoiling and the only goal of the night a scrambler from two yards by a big centre half. You imagined the Portuguese postcards to home. Weather bad. Lucky you're not here.

The Portuguese looked as if they had wandered onto the wrong set. Tanned and resplendent in their silky Michael Jackson strip which looked black from some angles and white from others, they found the elements and the bumpy pitch and the robust Irish a little too much to digest, especially in the first half when they seemed bereft of any ideas except getting back on the bus and going home.

When they played they gave glimpses of the genius which should have brought them a European Championship on their own turf last summer.

Brian Kerr said afterwards that he thought they played the best football of any side since Portugal were here last and for the flashes when they were interested perhaps you could agree with him.

There was lots that didn't glitter though.

Afterwards Luiz Felipe Scolari came among us working serfs in the little bandroom in the corner of Lansdowne Road.

What did he think? Scolari gave his best hangdog Gene Hackman expression, shrugged his shoulders and expounded. "We have come here to prepare for next months game against the Czech Republic. We have learned something about our game. Mainly the free kicks and corners, need work. We made mistakes. We have learned. We will try to do better. This wasn't the result we wanted but it is not the end."

What did he think of Ireland? "What we expected, strong team. If we scored first probably we would have won the game. When they scored first probably not."

Would Damien Duff get into the Portuguese team? This time Scolari didn't need to turn to his mournful translator.

- "No."

Startled pause.

- "He is not Portuguese."

Brian Kerr arrived, his side having just kept alive a long run of remarkable results in friendly games. Even Brian seemed affected by the chill, however. He came wrapped up in a scarf that looked like it had been nicked from Rupert the Bear.

A morale boost, Brian? "I don't think it will have a major influence on morale. I think that's been good. I think the performance should reinforce the players confidence and their ability to dig in and to understand that we can play a bit against the top teams."

After the break four of the Portuguese had been replaced by understudies and the sudden voltage of youthful enthusiasm altered the game as the visitors got the better of a messy 45minutes. Still it was one of those February friendlies.

"We've taken on a lot of good teams. We've been adventurous. It's a risk. You could lose a lot. You could slip down the rankings, although I'm a bit dubious about what that's worth. The friendlies have been important in developing players and a system. There's a lot of value there for younger players. Some of the players out there tonight are really , really top players."

Andy O' Brien is known , perhaps not his face, as Postman Pat and the successful delivery of the first goal of his international career so caught the imagination that he went home with the man of the match award. "Andy has had to wait a long time to get his chance, because of the form of Steve Staunton and Gary Breen and Ken Cunningham and Richard. He's got in, he's played well. We've conceded one goal in nine games. He has done well after a difficult awkward spell at Newcastle. I'm pleased for him."

Damien Duff could feel hard done by about the man of the match thing. Not seeming quite in sync with the gladiatorial edict about not doing friendlies Duff ran and harried all night and even found time, crazed hatchet man that he is, to engage in a running niggle fest with Cristiano Ronaldo, the most tanned player on the field getting tired eventually of the sight of the palest player in existence.

Ronaldo with his pristine white socks worn high looked as imperious as a matador at times. Duff nipped and barked around him and performed many tricks of his own with the cape. Their battle was the most enjoyable element of a hard night.

"I think he was sensational at times" said Brian "the honesty of his workrate was very apparent. When he got on the ball he was fantastic. It's a longtime since we have seen four wingers on a pitch in Dublin. There was some stuff out in the wide positions."

Where is he at now in world terms? "At the European Championships in Portugal there weren't many better wide players than Figo and Ronaldo and Damien is in that bracket. I think overall it's hard to say where people stand. It wasn't just all about Damien though. "

Not so sure. Coming soon, I Duffer.